Social commentary from a pop singer.....makes for humorous reading:
Ronstadt Rips Bush Supporters, Says Iraq Has Produced 'New Bunch of Hitlers'
By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
November 19, 2004
SPARTANBURG, SC (Talon News) -- Legendary pop singer Linda Ronstadt said that supporters of President George W. Bush "voted against themselves" when they reelected the president to a second term and exclaimed that "now we've got a new bunch of Hitlers" because of the war in Iraq.
In an article that appeared in USA Today on Wednesday, the 58-year-old crooner spoke openly of her disgust following the recent presidential election.
"People don't realize that by voting Republican, they voted against themselves," she exclaimed.
When commenting on how she felt about the war in Iraq, Ronstadt noted, "I worry that some people are entertained by the idea of this war. They don't know anything about the Iraqis, but they're angry and frustrated in their own lives."
She added, "It's like Germany, before Hitler took over. The economy was bad and people felt kicked around. They looked for a scapegoat."
Insinuating that the American-led coalition of troops has made the situation worse in Iraq, Ronstadt proclaimed, "Now we've got a new bunch of Hitlers."
Talon News reported in July that Ronstadt was fired by a Las Vegas casino after getting loudly booed for offering praise for left-wing producer Michael Moore's anti-Bush movie "Fahrenheit 9/11."
She was getting ready to sing the Eagles classic "Desperado" and described Moore as a "great American patriot ... who is spreading the truth" and "someone who cares about this country deeply and is trying to help" with the release of his Bush-bashing film.
Ronstadt strongly urged her fans to go see the movie.
Yet the crowd of 4,500 immediately began jeering Ronstadt, tearing up and defacing concert posters and throwing cocktails at the startled singer. In fact, nearly half of those in attendance walked out of the show demanding a refund of their money after Ronstadt's vocal show of support for Moore.
The singer was physically escorted off the property and asked not to come back to the casino again.
In the USA Today story, Ronstadt said that situation was blown out of proportion.
"No one threw drinks or anything in the concert hall," Ronstadt recalled. "I don't know what people did in the lobby, but if they behaved like naughty schoolboys, that's not my fault. I doubt it was the first time they had drunk people in Vegas, you know?"
Making no apologies for what happened, Ronstadt said the incident "made [her] look rather good, I think."
Admitting that she has "very little power" to have an effect on people regarding her liberal political views, Ronstadt said she will not stop speaking out in support of her beliefs.
"I've been blessed with an unusually long career, but the peak was in the '70s and '80s. I think you just have to carry on - and do what you can to get information out to people. Do what you can," Ronstadt concluded to USA Today.
Copyright © 2004 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
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